The device and method described below may be used for mechanically coupling an actuating element of a valve to a connection element of an actuator, wherein (a) the actuating element can be displaced along a z-axis for the purpose of adjusting the valve and wherein (b) the connection element, at a corresponding orientation of the actuator relative to the valve, can likewise be displaced along the z-axis by the actuator.
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) valves are typically actuated by an electric-motor-driven actuator. In order in such cases to be able to assign a precisely defined setting of the valve to a specific position of the actuator, which is an essential requirement for a precise activation of the valve, on the one hand the relative position between actuator and valve must be precisely defined. It is also advantageous for reliable operation of a valve and for specific applications it is even absolutely necessary to couple an actuating element (typically a plunger) of a valve to a connection element of an actuator with as little play as possible. In such cases it should be considered that a typical heating, ventilation and air conditioning system has a plurality of controllable valves and that often the installer responsible does not always work with the greatest of care during installation or maintenance of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.